Isolating-Housing Storage Tower With Direct Container Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing automated storage and retrieval systems face challenges in accessing specialized goods, such as refrigerated or frozen items, without the need for a digging operation, which involves temporarily moving other containers to access lower positioned items, and these systems lack dedicated environments for isolating such goods.
Innovation Solution
An isolated environment, such as a refrigerated room, with a storage tower containing horizontally movable container supports that align to form a tower port beneath a hatch, allowing direct access by container handling vehicles without digging, and a control system to automate this process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional grid storage systems are used for specialized goods, then storage capacity is maximized, but digging operations are required to access lower positioned containers
Solution Approach 1:
The container supports are made horizontally movable rather than fixed, allowing them to be dynamically repositioned to align openings vertically. This dynamic adjustment enables direct access to any container level without digging operations, resolving the contradiction between storage capacity and access efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from vertical stacking with fixed positions to a system where container supports can move horizontally to create vertical alignment. This adds a horizontal movement dimension to the traditionally vertical storage arrangement, enabling direct access paths through the formation of vertical openings.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional storage systems are used for specialized goods, then storage is possible, but the goods are not isolated from the outside environment
Solution Approach 1:
The storage system is segmented into an isolated environment (isolating housing) and the external environment. The isolating housing with its sealed structure and controlled access hatch creates a distinct environmental zone for specialized goods, separating them from external harmful factors while maintaining the overall storage system functionality.
3Ease of operation
If digging operations are performed to access lower containers, then access is possible, but operational time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary alignment of container support openings vertically before access is needed. By pre-positioning the movable container supports to create aligned vertical pathways, the system eliminates the need for time-consuming digging operations during actual access operations, significantly reducing access time.
Data Source
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AI summary
An automated storage and retrieval system for storing specialized goods in storage containers (106) in an isolating housing (800), having walls and a roof. Openable and closable hatches (804) are arranged in the roof. A rail system is arranged above the roof, upon which rail system may travel container handling vehicles (301), which may be positioned with its lifting device positioned above a hatch. A storage tower (400) is arranged inside the isolating housing, the storage tower being accessible to a container handling vehicle though the hatch. The storage tower has a number of vertically stacked, horizontally movable container supports (402) in the form of shelves upon which may rest a plurality of storage containers and one or more openings (403) corresponding in size to a storage container such that storage containers may pass therethrough. The container supports may align their openings to form a tower port beneath a hatch, through which the container handling vehicle may lower its lifting device though the hatch, down the tower port, and access the target container.